Paul danckwagdt



09h 8 1929. P. DANcKwARDT l 1,730,997

IBTHOD POR COIWBRTING SOLID CARBON INTO LIQUID HYDROCARBONS .Filed Jan. 13, 1928 nfl 5 enters the interior. rlhis pipe is electrically insulated from the electrolyzer at point 6 and serves as the positive pole oil an electric current. lts lower extremity is perforated, while the outside end is provided with a clamp 7 for connection with a cable carrying current from a dynamo. r)Through pipe 5, gas may be introduced and discharged through the perforations inside of the apparatus. A. small manhole 8 is used for the purpose of introducing the charge. Another pipe 9 extends into and downi rardly within the electrolyzer and opens at the lower extremity. lPi pe l has three branch lines one 10, 'for the introduction ot steam, one 11, for the introduction and circulation of oil and carbon containing material, and one 12, leading to a compressor 13 which supplies the gas. Pipe 9 is provided with a clamp 39 to which the negative pole ont the dynamo is connected. ln the interior of electrolyzer 1, there is a perforated partition plate 14. and the compartment underneath this plate is iilledwith nichel in a iinely divided state. A pipe 15 connects the electrolyzer with the separator 16 which is also made of strong steel and provided with a removable bottom plate 17 and a valved pipe 18. From the top of the separator lli, a pipe 19 which is provided with a pressure retaining valve 2O leads to the condenser 21 and thence to the receiving tank 22, which latter is provided with a draw-oliA valve 223 and a gas escape valve 24:. lnside oi" the separator is placed a small pump, consisting of the pump barrel 25, the piston 26, a spring 27 supplying the motive power 'for the upward stroke of the piston, ball valves .Q8 and 29 for suction and discharge respectively. rllie space above the piston is connected by the pipe and union 30 with the line 31 coming from the compressor 13, while a pipe 32 terms the discharge for the gas during the upward stroke oi the piston. The pipe coming from the top ol the discharge valve 29 is connecter to line 1l by a union lll), thus allowing the removal 01"' the pump, it necessary, by disconnecting the bottom plate 1'4"' and the two unions only. The operation of this pump will be hereinafter described. Number 3S represents a rotating valve actuated loywaJ set of gears 34: and and pulleys 36 and 87 connected by means of a belt 38.

ln order to carry on the process by means oi the above described apparatus, l lill the space below plate lll ol the electrolyaer 1 with nichel shavings or granules, then pour previously fused sodium hydroxide through the manhole 8 until the level reaches almost to the level of the pipe 15. ln the meanwhile superheated steam has been admitted into the jacket 2 to keep the hydroxide in a liquid state. l now charge the separator 16 through Valve 18 nearly up tothe level ol pipe 15 with a mix-ure oit finely divided carbon material to be treatec. and sullicient oil or tar so that Maase? the mixture can be handled by a pump. ill-ter the manhole and the valve 18 have been closed, l start the compressor 13, and apply power to the pulley 3.7, whereby the rotating valve is set in operation. Fixed gas consisting of hydrogen or gas containing hydrogen, such as blue ga producer gas, decomposed hydrocarbon gas, etc., generally speaking any gas containing a large percentage olf hydrogen but no carbon dioxide, or 'from which the latter has been extracted, is forced by the compressor from an outside source not shown, but which may be a storage tank) through the rotating valve 33 intermittently into the pump barrel 25 above the piston. l'l the discharge pipe 32 were oi the same size as the inlet pipe 30, there would be no pressure everted on the piston and it would not move except under the influence of the spring pulling` it upwards. ln order to produce motion, the outlet opening of pipe 32 must be much smaller than the inlet to the pump. ln that case, and as long as the rotating valve is open,

is during one-halll el each revoluwhich tion, the pressure builds up quickly to the amount required to force the piston downward. 'llie pump then discharges oil and finely divided carbon material through the ball valve 29 and pipe 11 into the mass ol' nic rel and sodium hydroxide contained in the lower part of the electrolyzer. lf the valve in line 2 is slightly open all the time and steam is admitted simultaneously through pipe 1G, there will be delivered a mixture of oil and carbon, plus a little steam and cousiderable hydrogen containing` gas into the electrolyzer during the down vard stroke of the piston, lll/Then the rotating valve closes a hall turn, the spring moves the piston l to its top position, forcing the gas slowly of pipe 32, and causing valve 29 to close and valve 28 to open, thus allowing oil and carbon to enter the part of the pump barrel below the piston. lt will be obvious that thus a steady cr.' rent of is discharged trom the pi Je 32 into the sludge underneath the pump, and on account oi this agitation the pump is enabled to deliver sludge of unit-form consistency, the carbon being absolutely prevented irom settling on account or the agitation. lll/'hile the rotating valve is closed, the conipressor is still delivering gas into the electrolyzer, as the valve in line 12 remains always caen, but during` that halt revolution et the rotating valve, the pump does not deliver any carbon oil sludge to the electrolyzer. l new turn on the electric fui-rent and the pressure in tive .eleetroly e and separator rises gradua to several thousand pounds. lich r ay be observed by the pressure gage i line 19 as indicated. lt has been f t high pressure favors the reaction though under the. induence et the nichel as a yzer and with part ot the hydrogen in L L L1 1. J. 1- .t cent stare, me ieaciion rases place ai a 1uist) with the oil. Therefore, at intervals -We must withdraw a parto't the accumulated heavy irom the separator, Which is best done by releasing the pressure temporarily and reg placing the oil by a lresh amount ot oil carrying more solid carbon. rllhe anode 5 may be made oi any suitable conducting material such as nichel, iron or even of carbon and Will therefore be referred to in the claims as made or' conducting material.

Having described the invention What l claim as new is:

l. The process of hydrogenizing carbon or carbon containing material, which consists in 'forcing the material together With hydrof in bringing` solid carbon or solid carbon containing material suspended in oil under high pressure and at a high temperature in contact with hydrogen, nickel and an electrolyte, while the latter is subjected to electrolysis,

using nickel as a negative pole and a tubular electrical conductor metal as the positive pole, neutralizing the action ot oxygen liberated at the positive pole by hydrogen containing gas, allowing the hydrocarbons and carbon to enter a second vessel, from Where a part oic the hydrocarbons may be Withdrawn, While the rest and the solid carbon are used over again.

3. rl'he process ot" producing hydrocarbons Y similar to mineral oil from solid carbon and l` droge-n, which consists in electrolyzing a n' etal hydroxide, introducing` under high pressure carbon or carbon containing inaterial, together with oil, free hydrogen and steam at the negative pole consisting of nickel, introchicing` at the positive pole gas containing` hydrogen to counteract the oxidizing action of liberated oxygen ou the product-s termed at the negative pole, sepa rating the hydrocarbons 'termed and returning the carbon and part o'. the iluid hydro- .caroons to the electrolyzer to be used over again.

Il. The process ot producing hydrocarbons similar to natural mineral oilii'rom solid carbon and hydrogen which consists in bringing the carbon containing material under high pressure in Contact With free hydrogen and hydrogen in nascent state, produced by electrolysis of metal hydroxide and the action of steam on the metal liberated at the negative pole, protecting the products formed from the oxidizing effect oi' oxygen generated at the positive pole by surrounding the latter With a gaseous atmosphere of hydrogen containing gas, ransterring the reaction products to another vessel, Where they may be separated and from which the unaffected solid carbon material and oil may be retur ed to the lirstvessel and submitted to the further action of hydrogen, While another part of the hydrocarbons formed is Withdrawn from the process.

5. The process or producing hydrocarbons from carbon such coal, colte, Wood or any solid carbon containing material, Which consists in suspending same in a heavy fluid hydrocarbon and forcing the sludge together With hydrogen and steam through molten metal hydroxide containing nickel, While the hydroxide subjected to electrolysis at such a rate as to be suihcient to decompose any carbonates, sulphates, sulphidcs or other salts which might be formed through the interaction of ingredients oit the charge with the metal hydroinde7 separating the hydrocarbon-i termed and returning a part ot the hcav'cr ones and the unaliected solid carbon material to the process.

6. rl`he process ot producing hydrocar ions from solid carbon containing material and iydrogen, Wl ich consists in bringing the carmixed vvith oil in the form of a sludge pounds into contact with hydrogen or hydrogen containing gas, such as producers gas, from which the carbon dioxide has been rr moved, and a catalyzer consisting of nickel and sodium hydroxide, subjecting the latter to electrolysis so that the and carbon react, the niclrel forming the negative pole, introducing at the positive pole hydrogen or roo n containiinr to neutralize thc oir n n"ect or .doxygen created there i en by electrolysis, on the products formed :it the negative pole, separating the hydrocmslarms o't low boiling points from those ot higher boiling points, condensing them and subjecting the hear' er hydrocarbons and solid carbon material to 'further treatment With gas, nichel and sodium hydrori de.

7. rllhe process ot producing` hydrocarbons from solid carbon containing material and hydrogen, which consists in subjecting sodium hydroxide to electrolysis under pressure and While in contact with solid carbon containing material, oil, hydrogen, steam and nickel, condensing the hydrocarbons formed and rcturing those of high boiling point-s and the solid carbon containing material as a sludge to the process for further treatment.

8. rlhe process oi producing hydrocarbons from solid carbon containing material and hydrogen, which consists in .subjecting` sodium hydroxide to electrolysis under high pressure a ncke cathode, introducing at the w 'Ve pole a sludge Consisting of carbon am d oil and a mixture of hydrogan and steam, conensng the hydocabons folmed and Sepamingg 'hss of 10W boiling puts from those of high boi@n points, :md letumnn' the hydlocmbom @if hgil boiling paints, wget le* with h@ part of sod omlaag, which has not yea-ciad Wh hydmgen, into the process.

O n estmony whereof affix; my signature.

PAUL BANCKVJARDT.

C D. u u 

